Off The Record

In this week’s episode, I discuss the risks and benefits of calorie counting and tracking apps. Should you count calories? Does tracking your macros serve a purpose? And what to do if you notice any red flags in your thoughts and eating behaviours.

I discuss:

• What calories and macros are (3:20)
• Calorie tracking apps - should you be using them? (6:43)
• When calorie counting and tracking becomes dangerous (10:56) 
• Calories in vs calories out. Is losing weight as simple as eating in a calorie deficit? (13:40)
• Do you have to track calories to lose weight? (17:24)
• Warning signs that you need to take a break from calorie counting (19:24)
• The accuracy of calorie-tracking apps. Should you trust them? (21:22)
• When calorie counting and tracking may be beneficial (25:15)
• Alternate options to calorie counting (32:40) 

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Trigger Warning: Please be advised that this episode contains a discussion around eating disorders. Should you now, or at any time during this episode, feel triggered by these discussions, please feel comfortable leaving this space at any time.

In this week’s episode, I am joined by dietitian Megan Bray to talk about health media, and how social media in particular impacts our body image and perception of health. Megan works in the field of eating disorders and is a strong advocate for recovery, non-diet nutrition, and body acceptance. In addition to undertaking research in the eating disorder field, Megan also works as a peer mentor with individuals pursuing recovery, and is active in the pro-recovery social media space so is the perfect person to discuss this topic with!

We discuss:

• Megan’s work and lived experience with an eating disorder (2:10)
• Megan’s own relationship with health media and its impact on her own perception of health when she had an eating disorder (6:25) 
• Tips for fostering a healthy relationship with social media (10:50)
• Non-diet nutrition- what is it? (12:15)
• How we can unlearn the notion of ‘bigger’ being ‘bad’ for health (16:40)
• The impact of unrealistic health standards on our perception of health (24:00)
• The body positive movement - is it helping to change our perception of what ‘healthy’ looks like? (29:12)
•  Taking control of the content we see online as consumers (31:25)
• Our thoughts on health messages being shared by unqualified people online (37:10)

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In today’s episode, I discuss the link between acne and nutrition. I review the research on popular ‘anti-acne’ diets (low glycaemic diet, ketogenic diet, and dairy-free diet) to determine their influence on the development of acne, as well as explore the effectiveness of popular supplements and dietary nutrients on skin health.

I discuss:

• The role of diet and nutrition in influencing skin conditions (2:00)
• The evidence between diet and acne - does what you eat cause acne? (3:21)
• ‘Anti-acne’ diet review: A low glycemic index diet (5:38) 
• Weighing up the ‘risks’ of your food decisions. What is it worth to you? (10:13)
• Can a traditional western dietary pattern influence the development of acne? (11:20)
• The importance of considering your whole dietary pattern when trying to determine a cause and effect relationship between the food you eat and the health of your skin (13:00)
• Anti-acne’ diet review: The ketogenic diet (14:00)
• Anti-acne’ diet review: A dairy-free diet (17:04) 
• Supplements and acne - do they work?  (21:46)  
• The key nutrients that play a role in our skin health (26:05)
  
   

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In this week\'s episode, I am joined by content creator Madeleine Edwards to talk about a common concern among young adults - adult acne. Grounded in professionalism and raw demeanour, Maddie is a certified and practiced beauty therapist who has sought to convert her years of work in the beauty and skin space into a practical, raw, and informative journey into skin and self-love. Maddie experiences hormonal acne and eczema, with her main goal being to help others facing a similar reality find some sort of peace and solace in their skin via her Instagram and YouTube channels.

We discuss:

• Maddie’s skin journey and how she has grown to accept her skin (2:19)
• Why Maddie made the decision to stop airbrushing her skin in her online content (7:24)
• How Maddie has navigated working in the beauty industry with hormonal acne (13:50)
• Responding to people who make assumptions about your health status based on the way your skin looks (15:15)
• Factors that influence your skin health (17:15)
• Different approaches to managing acne and what to do if it is impacting your mental wellbeing (18:24)
• Is it ok to use (and in Maddie’s case promote) anti-acne products whilst trying to foster self-love and skin acceptance? (27:02)
• The shift towards more inclusive beauty standards (30:55)
• Dealing with the pain associated with acne (35:56)
• Personal considerations regarding acne treatment and the use of roaccutaine (38:02)
• Maddie’s top tips for covering acne breakouts and scarring with makeup (43:54)

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In today’s episode, I discuss why I haven’t covered as much nutrition content on this podcast as you may have expected. This was actually a question asked of me by one of my listeners recently, so I thought I’d record an episode to explain. 

Spoiler: There is so much more to nutrition than simply knowing what to eat!

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In this week\'s episode, I am joined by Glenn Mackintosh, a psychologist who is incredibly passionate about all things eating, physical activity, weight, and body image. Glenn is the author of best-selling book Thinsanity: 7 Steps to transform your mindset and say goodbye to dieting forever and is the founder of the Weight Management Psychology clinic. Glenn is also the creator of the online support group, The Transformation Support Community, which helps people all over the world use the power of psychology to completely transform their relationship with eating, physical activity, weight & body image. 

I asked Glenn to join me on the podcast to talk about weight stigma in health and shed light on the psychological impact of society\'s pursuit of thinness.

We discuss:

• What weight stigma is (12:10)
• The psychological impact of weight stigma and society\'s pursuit of thinness (16:20)
• How weight stigma shows in health care (19:04)
• The relationship between weight and health - can you be healthy whilst living in a larger body? (21:10)
• Whether weight loss is the answer to improving self-confidence and body image (32:05)
• Factors that influence our body image (32:10)
• How to respond to well-intended comments when you’re trying to avoid conversations regarding weight (47:30)
• Setting boundaries with friends and family who fat shame, and/or talk about dieting or other topics underpinned by weight biases (54:00)
• Practical tips and mindset advice for listeners looking to improve their body image

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In this week\'s episode, we are joined by patient advocate and health consultant, Nicole Cooper. Nicole was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer in March 2017 - and told she would likely die within two years. Wanting a second opinion, Nicole found another medical team who were prepared to think bigger. Four years later, Nicole has had outstanding results and remains under treatment, dedicating her time to improving the care available to cancer patients. In this episode, we discuss the importance of advocating for your health when you feel something isn’t right, and how to remain positive in the face of adversity. 

We discuss:

• The story of Nicole’s bowel cancer diagnosis at 32 years of age.
• How a small amount of hope provided by an oncologist transformed Nicole’s mindset and prompted the beginning of her journey as a ‘full-time cancer patient’.
• Balancing the pragmatics of a stage four cancer diagnosis with hope and ‘humanness’ to reframe patient-centred care.
• Nicole’s treatment experience and the power of the mind in recovery. 
• Controlling the controllable in cancer treatment through exercise and fitness.
• Normalising conversations about cancer to remove stigmas of guilt and shame.
• Redefining health through acute illness. 
• What Nicole is doing now to improve the care made available to cancer patients.

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Trigger Warning: Please be advised that this episode contains discussions around eating disorders and alcohol consumption. Should you now, or at any time during this episode, feel triggered by these discussions, please feel comfortable leaving this space at any time.

In this week\'s episode, I am joined by co-host and dear friend, Lisa Anderson to have a conversation around drinking choices and behaviours. We weigh up the health risks and benefits of consuming alcohol to answer the burning question - can you drink alcohol and still be healthy?

We discuss…

• Our different and changing relationships with alcohol over time (Lisa 3:20 and Marika 10:00)
• Changing health perceptions of alcohol in the context of an eating disorder (3:55)
• The impact of diet culture on drinking choices (6:10)
• Drinking culture in Australia - have poor drinking behaviours been normalised? (12:15 and 37:00)
• Barriers to decreasing alcohol consumption (13:40)
• Dealing with the stigma and social pressures associated with not drinking (14:20)
• Alcohol as a social lubricant. Do we need to drink alcohol to have fun? (19:10)
• Dealing with hang-xiety (hangover anxiety) (20:35)
• The impact of COVID on the drinking habits of Australian’s (24:35)
• Is it healthier to sustain from alcohol altogether or healthier to drink in moderation? (29:30)
• How to be confident in your drinking decisions amid social pressures (37:40)
• Reconsidering your relationship with alcohol. Is it time to cut down? (40:00)
• Alcohol-free drink options - are they healthier than their alcohol-containing equivalents? (41:45)

If you need support with your alcohol consumption please contact Alcoholic Anonymous  on 1300 222 222 or Lifeline on 13 11 14

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Trigger Warning: Please be advised that this episode contains discussions around pregnancy loss, sexual assault, and mental illness. Should you now, or at any time during this episode, feel triggered by these discussions, please feel comfortable leaving this space at any time.

In this week\'s episode, we are joined by foodie, entrepreneur, and business owner, Keira Rumble. Keira is the founder of Australia\'s first fully functional beauty snack, Beauty Bites, and skincare brand, Habitual Beauty. Having worked as a model and travel writer for many years whilst building her businesses, Keira has amassed an online following of nearly 400K people with whom she shares her life. In this episode, we talk to Keria about her life, pregnancy loss, past traumas, and experience living with mental illness.

We discuss:

• The physical and psychological challenges associated with Keira’s transition out of competitive sport as a teenager.
• How surprising news about Keira’s health prompted a dramatic change in her lifestyle, leading to the creation of her first business, Krumbled Foods.
• Finding belonging through grief and hardship.
• Breaking down the stigma associated with mental illness.
  • Seeking help
  • Reframing therapy
  • Finding coping strategies
  • Living as a high-functioning person with a mental illness
• Managing the physical manifestations of trauma.
• Work-life balance and why this looks different for everyone

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In this week\'s episode, I discuss my experience dealing with chronic pain as the result of a hip injury and how I rebuilt trust with my body over time.

I discuss:

• My previous relationship with health and fitness.
• The factors that I believe contributed to my injuries.
• My first major injury and surgery to repair a labral tear.
• Living with generalised pain and discomfort.
• How living with injury impacted my motivation, mindset, and body image.
• What I learned during my rehabilitation.
• Rebuilding trust my your body and overcoming fears around re-injury

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• Hit ‘+’ to follow us in Apple Podcasts and leave a review or hit ‘follow’ in Spotify
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